Kolhapur: Two women and a man died after inhaling leaked chemical fumes in a fertilizer factory at Shalgaon MIDC, located in Kadegaon tehsil of Sangli district, on Thursday-Friday night.
The privately owned factory manufactures liquid chemical fertilizers and has around 15 employees on site.
The leak began around 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, but authorities have yet to investigate how and why it started. “About 10 workers inhaled the leaking noxious fumes. They were shifted to a Karad-based private multi-specialty hospital. Three workers died while undergoing treatment. A team of industrial experts has reached the accident site to investigate the cause of the leak.” said Ajit Shelar, the tehsildar of Kadegaon.
The police are yet to file an FIR in the case. An official said they were awaiting information from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation.
The deceased have been identified as 40-year-old Suchita Uthale, 45-year-old Neelam Retrekar and 45-year-old Kishor Sapkar. Four women are still critical and undergoing treatment in the ICU of the Karad-based hospital.
The factory is located near Bombalewadi village. According to local residents, they heard a loud bang and rushed to the factory. The workers inside reported experiencing eye irritation and shortness of breath, and some even started vomiting.
Vishwajeet Kadam, Palus Kadegaon MLA, wrote on X that the factory owners should be held responsible for the mismanagement that led to the deaths. “The incident shows the extent to which the factories in MIDC are run negligently. To avoid such accidents and keep them alert, action should be taken against the responsible (sic),” Kadam wrote.